Bengal oath on May 9, Tagore's birth anniversary: BJP

Pochishe Boishakh, or Rabindra Jayanti, has been announced by the BJP to mark a new beginning for Bengal -- a move rich in cultural context that runs deep within Bengali society.

In Short

• BJP to hold oath-taking in Kolkata on May 9, Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary
• Rabindra Jayanti is culturally significant in Bengal, adding weight to BJP event
• Mamata likely to meet Governor on May 6 to formally submit her resignation

In its first move to capture the imagination of Bengalis and root itself in the state’s traditions, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced that it would hold its oath-taking ceremony in Kolkata on May 9, or Pochishe Boishakh -- the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

“The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister of West Bengal will take place on 9th May...,” Bhattacharya told news agency ANI.

During his final rally in Barrackpore, PM Modi hinted at a new Bengal under BJP coinciding with Tagore Jayanti, a culturally significant occasion.

He had said, “I am returning with the confidence that after the results on May 4, I will come back here to attend the BJP’s oath-taking ceremony.”

After Bengal’s verdict on Monday, Modi again referred to Tagore while addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, saying the party’s resolve was to build a Bengal “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.”

Senior Election Commission of India officials, Principal Secretary SB Joshi and Secretary Sujit Kumar Mishra, are set to arrive in Kolkata today from Delhi to hand over the official gazette notification of the election results to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. The Chief Electoral Officer is then expected to brief Governor RN Ravi formally on May 6.

After that, the Governor is expected to invite outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to submit her resignation in keeping with constitutional procedure. She is then likely to be asked to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until the new government is sworn in, to ensure continuity in administration.

Rabindra Jayanti, observed across West Bengal on the 25th of Baishakh, holds a central place in the state's cultural life. Tagore's poetry, Rabindra Sangeet, literature and humanist thought are widely marked through recitations at homes and schools and through cultural programmes held across the state.

With the BJP set to form the new government, the swearing-in is expected to be a significant political event in West Bengal. Official announcements are expected soon as preparations for the ceremony gather pace.

- Ends